Imagine a world where every child made choices based on a mindset of compassion for the self, compassion for others and compassion for the planet… how different our world would be.
Compassion for the self, goes hand in hand with self-love, as when we truly love ourselves we can do no harm to others.
Here is a fun class activity to reinforce self love in young minds.
Sit children in a circle with a jigsaw puzzle, ask the children to put the jigsaw puzzle together.
Once the puzzle has been completed, engage with the children and ask them what they think the purpose of the exercise was.
Many will say teamwork, great, acknowledge this and thank everyone for their feedback.
Now remove two pieces from the completed puzzle.
Ask children if the pieces are the same……..discuss the fact that they are different shape, sizes, colour etc.
Now observe the puzzle with the class and discuss the fact that without these two pieces the puzzle is incomplete.
Now ask children to look around the circle and observe their classmates, each a different shape, size, colour, tastes, gifts etc
Then discuss with group, using the jigsaw puzzle as your visual aid the importance of each piece to make the puzzle complete.
Then progress to explain in the puzzle of life, each person is unique and special and of equal importance to make the world complete.
As each piece of the jigsaw puzzle has a unique role of equal importance to its completion, so in life each child has a unique role of equal importance to complete the world.
The session can be ended with the children sitting and taking a moment to acknowledge in the their own mind that they are unique and special and of equal importance to the world and giving themselves a love filled hug of gratitude for the wonderment of themselves.